It’s been around 11 months since Mortal Kombat 1 first hit the scene, and even with the release of the Khaos Reigns expansion on the horizon, the question always remains, “What’s next?”
NetherRealm Studios may already be developing a major video game that will succeed MK1 at some point in the future.
While there are obviously no official announcements on this yet, we can look for other ways to get a feel for what is currently going on at a game studio.
One option, of course, is to look at a company’s job openings if NetherRealm has some interesting positions available.
Perhaps most revealing is the role of Associate Producer, whose job description includes the following text: “Be part of the production team in the day-to-day management of a AAA title that NetherRealm Studios is working on.”
It is not specified if this refers to a new title that is not MK1 or is a general statement about what NRS is currently working on. However, that is not all.
They are also trying to hire a Senior Animator who will supposedly be “responsible for creating consistent, high-quality cinematic animations for our Story Mode campaign.”
Considering that Khaos Reigns is set to launch with its story mode expansion next month, a new hire wouldn’t really be working on it at this point, so close to the finish line, when production should be almost complete.
Taken together, these listings suggest that NRS is either trying to get into pre-production or is already beginning early production on its next big game. If you know anything about game development, though, this revelation isn’t too surprising.
Given the increasing scope and time it takes to create a AAA title these days, studios typically try to start pre-production or get their next ideas off the ground shortly after the release of their current product.
Many/most titles (and especially fighting games) may receive post-release support and DLC for years to come, but these are generally worked on by smaller teams while the majority move on to new products.
NetherRealm may be holding back more than usual since they’ve been releasing a major story expansion for the last few titles, but obviously they’re not going to stick with MK1 forever.
It’s interesting that this is coming up now for a few other reasons too, considering NRS recently suffered mass layoffs of its entire mobile team and canceled Mortal Kombat Onslaught after just one year.
In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery continues to face difficult financial conditions and is reportedly considering selling at least part of its gaming division.
Yet despite this uncertainty about the future and previous staff cuts, NRS continues to hire and appears to be getting its next project off the ground.
What that will ultimately be is anyone’s guess, as NetherRealm has already interrupted its release cycle from Mortal Kombat to Injustice with the current game.
Mortal Kombat 1 was a success for Warner Bros., selling over 4 million copies in less than a year, putting it ahead of direct competition from Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, but behind what Mortal Kombat 11 achieved when it became the fastest-selling and then best-selling title in the franchise of all time.
Ed Boon recently confirmed that they plan to support Mortal Kombat 1 “for years,” but they are currently only in their second year.
Even if NetherRealm’s next game were already in full production, it wouldn’t be a lost cause for MK1.
Whatever they do next, it probably won’t be revealed to the public for about three years, possibly even later.
Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns is scheduled for release on September 24, 2024.
